Hame-tug



(Ne Model.)

'E. e. LATTA.

HAME' Tue.- No. 294,243. Patented Feb. 26, 1884.

n vnzns P ewumo n m Washington. 0. c,

NITED STATES ATENT- OFFICE.

EMMIT G. LATTA, OF FRIENDSHIP, NEW YORK, ASSI GNOR OF TVVO-THIRDS TOADRIAN O. LATTA, OF SAME PLACE, AND HARVEY D. BLAKESLEE,

OF BUFFALO, NEWV YORK.

HAME-TUG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NJ. 294,2f3, dated February26, 18 84.

Application filed July 27,1683. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMMIT G. LATTA, of Friendship, in the county ofAllegany and State of New York, have invented-a new and usefulImprovement in Hame-Tugs, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to produce a strong, durable hame-tug ofelegant appearance, which (an be produced at less expense thanheretofore, and in which the leather is relieved from the strain, and inwhich the tracebuckle and the loop are removably attached, so that theycan be readily replaced when necessary.

My invention consists of theimprovements in the construction of thehame-tug which will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out inthe claims.

Inthe accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal sectionof my improved hame-tug. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof with theloop in section. Fig. 3 is a crosssection on an enlarged scale in linexm, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the coupling-plate. Fig. 5 is a plan viewof the same. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the rear end of the couplingplate 011 an enlarged scale. Fig. 7 is an ele- .vation of the hame-clipand draft-bar. Fig.

8 is a longitudinal section of the hame-tug, 0 showing a modifiedconstruction of the coupling-plate. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of thefront end of this coupling-plate.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the hame-clip', and B the draftbar, secured with its frontend between the legs of the clip by rivets a.

O Orepresent the leather covers applied, respectively, to the outer andinner sides of 40 the draft-bar and hame'clip, and secured togetheralong their outer edges by sewing or stitching. i

D represents the coupling-plate, and E the trace-buckle; and F, the loopwhich is secured 4 5 to the draft-bar by the coupling-plate.

f represents an elongated opening formed in the draft-bar B, near therear end of the hame-clip, for the reception of ahook, g,formed at thefront end of the coupling-bar D, and

having its lower projecting end turned backwardly, so that upon passingthe hook 9 through the opening f and moving the coupling-platebackwardly the projection of the hook y will engage under the draft-bar,and thereby secure the front end of the coupling plate to the draft-bar,as represented in Fig; 1.

It represents an elongated opening formed in the draft-bar near its rearend, for the reception of a lug, 1, formed on the rear end of thecoupling-plate D, and provided with lateral projectionsi, which areadapted to engage under the draft'bar when the lug orhead I is passedthrough the opening h.

j represents an upward bend formed in the coupling-plate D near the headI, to form a 6 4 bearing or socket for the front bar, 6, of thetracebuckle E. The bend j extends over the front bar of thetrace-buckle, and is provided with a slot j, through which the tongue ofthe trace-buckle projects. The opening h is made so long that the head Ican be passed through the opening in a position at right angles to thatwhich it occupies when the couplingplate is secured to the draft-bar,and so narrow that the lateral projections iof the head Iwill en- 7 5gage under the coupling-plate on both sides of the opening it when thecoupling-plate has been turned so as to stand parallel with thedraft-bar.

it represents a longitudinal slot formed in the coupling-plate forthepurpose of rendering the same light.

Z represents spurs formed on the under or rear side of thecoupling-plate, along both edges of the same, and adapted to penetratethe inner 85 parts of the loop F.

m m represent openings formed in the front leather cover, 0, for thepassage of the hook g and head I; and M represents an opening formed inboth leather covers 0 G, underneath the trace-buckle, for the passage ofthe front end of the trace. The leather covers may be cut out with a dieand the openings stamped in the covers at the same time. The frontportion of the draft-bar is contracted, so that the draft-bar can bepushed forward between the leather covers, to expose its front portionfor securing the same to the hame-elip. The outer leather cover, 0, ispreferably skived out thin in the center where the loop F rests in orderto prevent it from bulging out when the draftbar is inserted, wherebythe loop is enabled to be drawn closely with its edges to the body ofthe tug. The draft-bar B is placed between the leather covers 0 O, andthe latter are then sewed together along their outer edges, leaving asmall opening at the front end to admit the clip, as represented in Fig.2, whereby the draft-bar is confined in the sheath formed by the leathercovers. The draft bar is then pushed forward and the clip riveted to itsfront end. The coupling plate D is then passed through the loop F andthe trace buckle E placed with its rear bar in the socket j. The head Iof the couplingplate is inserted in the opening h, with. thecoupling-plate standing at right angles to thedraftbar. Thecoupling-plate is then turned parallel to the draft-bar and the hook yinserted through the Opening)". The coupling-plate is then pushed backon the draft-bar until the head I and hook g strike the rear edges oftheir respective openings in the draft-bar, whereby the buckle E andloop F are secured to the draft-bar. The parts are retained in thisposition when in use by the draft on the trace.

In order to prevent accidental detachment of the parts, the back of thecover 0 may be channeled, and a few tacks driven through the loop F andclinched on the inside of the coup ling-plate, as represented in Fig. 3.

When it is desired to replace a worn clip or loop, or to change thebuckle, it is only necessary to disengage the coupling-plate from thedraft-bar by a reverse operation from that described for securing theseparts together.

For a cheap grade of tugs the draft-bar B may be made straight, when theedges of the leather covers can be sewed together before rting thedraft-bar.

1n e filgidraft-loar, having'a contracted front end,

mp erably formed by drop-forging; but it may also be constructed ofmalleable cast-iron. In either case the contracted front end is madethicker than the wide body of the draft-bar, in order tdgive itsufficient strength.

The coupling-plate may be made of malleable cast-iron or sheet metal.

If desired, the trace-buckle may be cast in one piece with thecoupling-plate D, or the loop may be formed of cast-iron and cast in onepiece with the coupling-plate, to reduce the cost of the tug.

The opening f in the draft-bar B may be 0mitted, and a loop, 12, may besubstituted for the hook g, the draft-bar passing through the loop a, asrepresented in Figs. 8 and 9. In this case the head I is not constructedwith lateral projections i, but only with a rearward projection engagingunder the draft-bar, as the coupling-plate cannot be turned on thedraftbar when the latter is passed through the loop a. This constructionavoids the weakeningof the draft-bar by the opening f.

' My improved device for attaching the buckle and loop to the draft-barmay be used in breastcollar harness as well as in connection withhame-tugs, and produces a strong durable tug of neat appearance,in whichless leather is used than in ordinary tugs, and which can be constructedat less expense, because it does not require skilled labor for itsproduction, and which can be attached to-the hame-tug without rivets orscrews, and in which all the parts can be easily replaced whennecessary, and in which the strain falls upon the metallic parts only,thereby relieving the leather, and permitting the use of thinner leatherthan heretofore.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a hame-tug, the combination,with the clipA, of a draft-bar, B, a.trace-buckle, E, and a coupling-plate, D,provided with fastening devices I, whereby it is attached to thedraftbar, substantially as described.

2. Inahametug, the combination of aleather cover or sheath, closed atits edges except at the front end, and a draft-bar-and clip seated insaid cover, and adapted to be drawn out through the opening at its frontend,whercby the clip can be removed without defacing the leather cover,substantially as set forth.

3. The combinatiomwith the clip, of a draftbar having openingsf and h,and a coupling plate having a hook, g, and head I, substantially as setforth. 4. The combination,with the clip and draftbar, of a loop and acoupling-plate having spurs adapted to penetrate the loop, and meanswhereby the coupling-plate is attached to the draft-bar, substantiallyas set forth.

5. In a hame-tug, the combination, with a draft-bar, B, having anelongated opening, h,

of a coupling-plate, D, having a head, I, con

strueted with lateral projections i, substantially as set forth.

6. In a hame-tug, the combination, with a draft-bar, B, having openingsf and h, of a coup -ling-plate, D, having a hook, g, a head, I, and

